Public Television: Season 13

About Public Television: Season 13

Meet Natalie, Robin, and Zoed. They’re computer science students who come from backgrounds underrepresented in tech—and they’re on a mission to not just break into the industry, but diversify it. Eager to discover the career possibilities in this rapidly growing field—and encourage other women and minorities to do the same—they embark on a journey that proves you don’t have to fit mold to make it in tech; anyone has the potential to be a driver of innovation, discovery, and progress.

EPISODES

Meet Natalie, Robin, and Zoed, three computer science students from three very different backgrounds, all of which are underrepresented in tech. This season, the team will embark on a cross-country road trip to meet and interview trailblazing leaders in their field. Their journey begins in sunny Los Angeles, where they visit NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and meet infamous computer hacker, Samy Kamkar.

Leaders Interviewed:

The team starts to bond as they drive the Green RV into the heart of Silicon Valley, a major hub for innovation in technology. While there, they talk to Phillip Loya of CODE2040 and Laura Gómez of Atipica about using computer science to advance each of their respective communities. They also visit Netflix HQ, where Sabry Tozin, a first-generation Congolese immigrant, tells them, “Don’t fit in.”

Leaders Interviewed:

The road-trippers take a much-needed meditative break in Yosemite National Park before continuing on to DEF CON, a Las Vegas conference that dispels some of their misconceptions about “hackers.” Then it’s off to Denver, where the team lets loose at Sphero, a robotics company that puts an emphasis on fun. In Chicago, 3D printer Dima Elissa encourages the team to embrace their unique identities.

Leaders Interviewed:

The final week of the trip begins in New York, where the team sits down with the co-founders of New York on Tech, an organization providing tech-based training to low-income students in Brooklyn. The last leg of the journey takes the Green RV to Boston, Natalie’s hometown. After conducting their final interview at MIT, the team reflects on the friendships and lessons they’ll take home with them.